Mission

The National Organization for Women aims to take action to bring true equality for all women in America, and toward a fully equal partnership of the sexes.

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What We Do

NOW is dedicated to the proposition that women, first and foremost, are human beings, who, like all other people in our society, must have the chance to develop their fullest human potential. We believe that women can achieve such equality only by accepting to the full the challenges and responsibilities they share with all other people in our society, as part of the decision-making mainstream of American political, economic and social life.

We organize to initiate or support action, nationally, or in any part of this nation, by individuals or organizations, to break through the silken curtain of prejudice and discrimination against women in government, industry, the professions, the churches, the political parties, the judiciary, the labor unions, in education, science, medicine, law, religion and every other field of importance in American society.

For a comprehensive look at NOW’s direct action, see our page on PAST EVENTS.

Most recently NOW has had great success at it’s “Women’s Strike for Equality” in several cities across the country. 50,000 supporters marched down 5th Avenue in New York, completely blocking traffic and garnering much media attention.

NOW has maintained the constant demand for the passage of ERA, has demonstrated and petitioned for its passage and has even disrupted Senate hearings on ERA. ( Update 8/10/70: ERA HAS BEEN PASSED IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES!!)

NOW as an organization has filed petitions with the Equal Employment Opportunity Committee (EEOC) in order to enforce Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

NOW attorneys have filed lawsuits on behalf of women across the country who have faced discrimination, or have filed appeals in the case of a wrongful decision which uphold the discrimination of women.

NOW has filed sex discrimination charges against Harvard.

NOW has protested against NASA, The New York Times, Colgate-Palmolive and has recently filed a blanket suit against 1,300 federal contractors who have failed to establish affirmative action plans for women’s employment in their company in accordance with Executive Order 11375.

NOW has opposed and given testimony against the appointment of Judge Carswell to the Supreme Court.

Check out our NOW Blog for a look at NOW’s chapter activity, direct action, organizational changes and updates in the field of women’s equality.